A HIT new comedy which is a spin-off from the critically acclaimed Motherland has been commissioned for a second series.
Amandaland, which follows the life of Motherland character Amanda, played by Lucy Punch, drew record audiences when it aired on BBC One earlier this year.
It has averaged 6.4 million viewers to date, making it the station’s second biggest comedy launch in recent years, the BBC has confirmed while announcing a second series is on the cards.
"We always had high hopes for Amandaland, but it’s been amazing to see how much viewers have embraced not just the returning characters, but the brilliant new additions too," Tanya Qureshi, Head of Comedy at the BBC, said today.
"We’re so thrilled to reunite with this talented team for another instalment of Amanda’s new life in SoHa.”
Amandaland has been commissioned for a second seriesThe series also features Irish star Philippa Dunne, who reprised her role as Motherland’s over-protective Irish mum Anne Flynn for the new show.
The Great Pottery Showdown host Siobhán McSweeney is another Irish face among the cast, who plays local celebrity chef Della who is a fellow mum at the secondary school Amanda and Anne’s children now attend.
Acting royalty Joanna Lumley is there too, effortlessly slipping back into her Motherland role, where she plays Amanda’s mum Felicity.
The series was created by Sharon Horgan, Holly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz and Barunka O'Shaughnessy and produced by Horgan’s Merman production company.
“With any new show you put out there, your main hope is to make something you love and are proud of - the extra bonus is that it's a critical hit,” Horgan said this week.
“But to have a loyal audience of this size is just beyond your hopes and expectations,” she admits.
“The incredible cast and writers, director and production team worked so hard on this show and it's so wonderful to see that hard work pay off.
“Special thanks to Lucy for being the most extraordinary front woman and to the BBC for having such faith in the idea of Amandaland from the off.”
Amandaland was written by Walsh, Serafinowicz, O'Shaughnessy and Laurence Rickard.
“We've been bowled over by the response to Amandaland and can't wait to get co-labbing on the next series,” Walsh said as news of their second series commission was shared.
See More: Amandaland, Sharon Horgan
